SAMUDA INSISTS THERE WAS NO NEED TO CLOSE SCHOOL, EVIDENCE SHOWS WATER WAS DELIVERED
OCHO RIOS, St Ann; May 20, 2025
Minister responsible for Water Matthew Samuda has blasted Councillor Ian Bell, representing the Parry Town area of St Ann, for the action he took in closing down the Primary and Infant School on Tuesday.
Mr Samuda told the North Coast Times that either Mr Bell was uninformed or was lying to say no water had been trucked to the school since last Monday, May 12, when an NWC pump supplying the area broke down.
PARRY TOWN PRIMARY & INFANT SCHOOL CLOSED
The North Coast Times was told that there were delivery sheets showing trucked water signed for at the Parry Town Primary and Infant School on Friday and Monday. The Times has seen a signed form for 4,000 gallons of water delivered to the school’s tank on Tuesday, May 20.
(Dispute over whether this tank at Parry Town Primary & Infant had been getting water)
In an interview Tuesday morning, Mr Bell (PNP), who is councillor for the Beecher Town Division that includes Parry Town and also chairman of the school Board, insisted that no water had been trucked to the school or the community he represented. He sharply criticized the NWC for not providing water for the community after the breakdown of the pump.
Contacted Tuesday afternoon after school was closed early, about the claims by Minister Samuda, Mr Bell said Mr Samuda needed to get his facts. He said water had been trucked to Pimento Walk, a neighbouring community, but not to Parry Town. He conceded that “half a load of water was sent there Friday.”
(NWC truck making delivery Tuesday)
However, Mr Samuda pointed to the signed delivery sheets for water received at Parry Town School and said at the time of his interview with The Times (early Tuesday afternoon) there were four trucks doing delivery in affected communities.
He said he had established procedures for schools and medical facilities to be prioritized for distribution when there was a problem with the standard water supply. Parry Town had received water, he insited and there was no need to call a half to school on Tuesday.
The Region 2 office of the Ministry of Education said it had not been told there was a water problem and had not been informed by the school Board Chairman or principal that Parry Town Primary and Infant School would be closed at midday on Tuesday.
